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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29438625">Flower Crown</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jesan_Miyuuki/pseuds/Jesan_Miyuuki'>Jesan_Miyuuki</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Advisors Jack and Jeremy, Butler Ludwig, Comedy, Corpse takes good care of Sykkuno, Did I mention humour?, Everybody eventually third wheels, First Kisses, First Loves, Fluff, Gardener Sykkuno, Humour, I Tried, Jealousy, Just pure happiness or at least that's what I tried to bring, King Corpse, Ladyinwaiting Poki, M/M, Minor Misunderstandings, Minor minor OCs, Possessiveness, Princess Rachel, Royalty AU, Siblings Rachel and Corpse, SickKkuno becomes childish, Sickening sweet fluff, There's no helping it, minor minor angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:08:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29438625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jesan_Miyuuki/pseuds/Jesan_Miyuuki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sykkuno enters into the palace to find a job that's able to provide him with shelter and food.<br/>Corpse becomes King at an early age due to his father's weak health.<br/>They meet under very abnormal circumstances.<br/>Chaos ensues. </p><p>or</p><p>The Royalty AU that's supposed to be just a heck ton of tooth-rotting fluff (feat. humour, chaos and lots of adventures as always).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Corpse Husband &amp; Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF), Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Server Event: Valentines 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Flower Crown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloud_Candy/gifts">Cloud_Candy</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy Valentine's day!! I hope you enjoy this work dear!! </p><p>Xx</p><p>[Shoutout to ComplicatedComplications for being such a great person and for helping me through all this chaos! Much love editor-san!!&lt;3]</p><p>Happy readings!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The big wooden doors open up to reveal a massive garden filled with an alluring rainbow of colours. Sykkuno’s mouth falls agape, a glint of amazement in his eyes as he tilts his head upwards to marvel at the beauty surrounding him. A collective sound of awe filters into the air around the group of 20 new commoners who are currently on their way to the palace’s servant headquarters.</p><p>Their astonishment falls away as soon as the head butler, a stern looking brunette wearing a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, appears in sight some distance away from them. The group of newbies come to a stop in a neat line-up in front of him after a few more seconds.</p><p>“My name is Ludwig and I am the Head Butler of the Royal family. Starting from today you’ll all be working under my supervision.”</p><p>Ludwig scans over their faces until his light brown eyes come to a stop on Sykkuno. The poor fellow squirms uncomfortably under the butler’s unreadable, intense gaze as a weird silence washes over the place.</p><p>“You’ll now be led to your headquarters where you will receive your uniform and be shown to your rooms.”</p><p>A mumbled combination of responses echo through the air. Ludwig scans over Sykkuno one last time before walking away with a small smile. He tries to will the blush on his face away when the others start whispering with glances thrown at him between every other word.</p><p>“Follow me – we don’t have all day.”</p><p>The person who brought them into the palace proceeds to take them through a few hallways, down some flights of stairs and out into the open. The cool breeze around them ruffles Sykkuno’s hair messily as the sound of their shoes crunching against the short dirt trail resonates through the open air.</p><p>They enter into a small courtyard just a little outside the main buildings of the palace. The servant headquarters for the lowest ranking individuals consist of three buildings making up the courtyard which they get to use as their garden area. The building to the left hosts all the female attendants and the building to the right hosts all the males. The last building between the two, the one facing the entrance of their little fort, holds their common areas and it’s also where their dining room is.</p><p>The group splits into two, one consisting of 12 females and another consisting of 8 males, after they receive another pep talk from the manager of their headquarters, just some ground rules and basics which Sykkuno had nervously jotted down in his little pocket notebook.</p><p>“Found it!”</p><p>He lets out a happy sound of victory when he finally finds room 6 after wandering around like a headless chicken for the past ten minutes. His new bedroom is at the end of the second floor with a shiny silver 6 pinned tightly onto the white door.</p><p>The lock clicks open after a few seconds and Sykkuno lets out a small ‘woah’ at the sight of the cosy room. Two identical tables are lined against the wall, right in front of the door, and they face the foot of two identical beds with a tall window between them on the opposite wall. A vase of fresh lavender decorates the small table between the two beds.</p><p>Sykkuno discards his luggage beside the furthest bed before plopping down onto the surprisingly soft mattress with a tired sigh. He nearly falls asleep to the sound of the muffled creaks in the building as the other people go about their day but the tiny squeak of the room’s door opening has him jolting upright immediately.</p><p>“Oh! It’s you!”</p><p>A sound of confusion slips out of his mouth upon hearing the stranger’s words. His cute, confused reaction causes a smile to spread across the stranger’s lips as he walks into the room and shuts the door softly behind him.</p><p>“I’m Alden, your roommate. It’s a pleasure to meet you...”</p><p>Alden is a tall, blonde man about the same age as Sykkuno with beautiful green eyes that sparkle like emeralds in the sunlight streaming happily into their room.</p><p>“Sykkuno. My name is Sykkuno and it’s a pleasure to meet you too!”</p><p>His roommate freezes for a moment after his introduction and the brunette panics as he tries to figure out if he said something wrong by accident.</p><p>“Sorry, I’m just so- wow- your voice is so beautiful.”</p><p>A blush creeps its way onto Sykkuno’s face as Alden finally takes his extended hand into a firm handshake.</p><p>“I hope we can get along well!”</p><p>A collective sound of happy agreement reverberates through their room followed by some giggles. They spend the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other a little bit more whilst unpacking their luggage before dinner.</p><p>“What do you think of the king?”</p><p>The brunette turns to look at the blonde with a confused sound, their footsteps echoing down the empty hallways as they make their way to the dining room for dinner.</p><p>“The king?”</p><p>“Yeah, you know the tyrant king that’s always cold as ice to everybody except his family.”</p><p>Sykkuno lets out a small hum. Who? Truthfully, everybody in his life knows that he’s the most clueless person alive. He entered into the palace because he was an orphan and needed to find a way to sustain himself for the rest of his life after becoming an adult. He never cared all that much for politics and he never knew, still doesn’t know, anything about politics despite being so eager to get into the palace for a job.</p><p>“A tyrant? Oh wow...”</p><p>Alden shoots Sykkuno a befuddled look.</p><p>“You’re not serious about not knowing, are you?”</p><p>The brunette rubs the back of his neck sheepishly as he offers the blonde a bashful smile.</p><p>“I don’t know anything much about the royal family at all...?”</p><p>He earns a disbelieving laugh followed by a heavy pat to his shoulder.</p><p>“You’re truly something else Sykkuno!”</p><p>Dinner goes by with Alden explaining the basic information on the royal family to Sykkuno, the brunette listening attentively with notes being taken now and then.</p><p>“-and then we have the current king who stepped onto the throne when he turned 16. I heard that he’s the same age as us! He’s the youngest prince in our kingdom’s history to become king because of the late king’s health.”</p><p>They finish up with the last of their meal – the chilly evening air greeting them as soon as they step out into the hallway.</p><p>“I was sceptical about the rumours at first.”</p><p>Alden’s eyes trail to the dimming skies above them.</p><p>“Sceptical about what?”</p><p>Sykkuno finds himself deeply immersed in these stories of the royal family, especially with how different the lives of these royals sound.</p><p>“Everyone was always talking about how the new, young king was cold and ruthless – nothing like the happy prince that he used to be when he was a child. One day I managed to catch a glimpse of him when they did an unannounced royal parade through the town and just like the rumours said he looked very cold and unforgiving. His eyes had an emotionless, hard look in them and his face seemed to be made of stone as he scanned the crowd with not a single trace of a smile.”</p><p>Alden lets out a shudder, his hand rubbing his arms dramatically, as he recalls the memory.</p><p>“It was scary.”</p><p>Sykkuno’s soft giggle filters into their room as they finally arrive back.</p><p>“You’re so dramatic.”</p><p>He earns a pout and a childish huff of irritation.</p><p>Sykkuno finds himself thinking about the king that night – his brain trying to picture this cold, ruthless tyrannical king with dark hair and stern eyes. He falls asleep with an over dramatic image of some cartoonish character with sharp teeth and thick black horns growing out of a mass of unruly dark curls in his mind, a smile gracing his lips at how ridiculous people can be sometimes.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>It takes about a week for him to get used to his new schedule but eventually he does come around with all the weird and wonderful things that he receives as his duties around the palace.</p><p>At the very top of this list of weird-and-wonderful things is cleaning. A lot of people might call him weird for loving to clean but he finds the repetitive, somewhat mindless, actions very therapeutic – plus he gets to daydream whilst wiping down windows and scrubbing tables clean! He sees that as a total bonus.</p><p>Apart from all the cleaning he does, he also has to do the laundry every two days of the week rotating with a girl named Lauren who does it the rest of the week.  Most days he does the sweeping and garden maintenance because he applied for that at the top of his ‘<em>what can I do best?</em>’ answer when he filled in the form last year.</p><p>One of the ladies, at the orphanage where he grew up at, piqued his interest in plants when he was five and she taught him all the knowledge and basics he now owns about plant care and nature in general. As a loner, Sykkuno spent most of his days outside talking to plants instead of people.</p><p>So in conclusion, he was having the best time of his life so far taking care of the palace’s greenery and doing mundane tasks. However, like all things in life, his peace and quiet didn’t last for very long and the chaos all started one sunny afternoon when he found a dark haired male leaning against one of the walls of the garden, fast asleep in the middle of nowhere.</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>He gently taps against the dark haired male’s arm with the broom. An annoyed huff escapes past his lips when the man remains unstirred.</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>Still no reaction whatsoever. He lets out an insufferable sigh as he squats down to eye level with the sleeping man. The dark haired male looks about the same age as himself, he’s dressed in an expensive looking all black suit with the tie loosened and the first button of his dress shirt undone.</p><p>A blush shoots across his cheeks when he catches himself staring at the smooth skin of the stranger’s neck. Sykkuno coughs awkwardly into his hand, his eyes darting around the garden as he tries to will his blush away. The heat fades a little after a few more seconds and he turns back to admire the stunningly handsome man again.</p><p>There’s a small frown on his lips and his forehead is slightly wrinkled despite being unconscious. Sykkuno bites down the urge to smooth out the stranger’s wrinkles. He snaps out of his thoughts when the man lets out an unhappy mumble.</p><p>“Is he... sleep-talking?”</p><p>The noises are all very half spoken and soft making it hard for Sykkuno to tell what he’s saying but it does allow his urge to soothe the man’s worries away to take over. With careful, tentative touches, Sykkuno brings his one hand up to trace the stranger’s forehead.</p><p>The mumbling falls silent as he relaxes. After a few more seconds of slow tracing the wrinkles disappear completely and Sykkuno’s face breaks out into a soft grin when the sleeping man lets out a small sigh of happiness. He finally decides to let the stranger carry on sleeping after a small internal debate.</p><p>Imaginary dust gets patted off of him when he stands up with a new mission in mind – find a blanket for Mister <em>Sleepy-Head</em>! A relieved sigh of sorts filters into the air when he finds the man still asleep when he returns a while later holding a thin grey blanket in his hands.</p><p>Sykkuno holds his breath as he carefully covers the man with the blanket. He lets out a sigh of relief as he steps back to pick up his broom from where it had been left lying on the floor earlier.</p><p>The rest of his afternoon goes by fairly quickly with the tasks of sweeping and gathering loose leaves alongside watering the plants. The man shoots up, awake and confused, just as Sykkuno reaches halfway with his task of sweeping up the many leaves littering the grass.  </p><p>“Where am I?”</p><p>His deep voice leaves Sykkuno stunned with awe, unable to answer the stranger's question straight away from how speechless he is. The grey blanket falls to a heap on the floor when he stands up, his one hand running through his hair and making a mess of those already messy dark curls. </p><p>“You're in the royal garden, sir.”</p><p>Dark eyes immediately shoot to pinpoint on him and the harshness behind them makes Sykkuno flinch a little.  </p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>The brunette gestures to his uniform with a flick of his wrist, leaning forward to prop his chin down on his hands folded neatly over the handle of the rack with a bored expression. </p><p>“No one important – just a good ol' floor sweeper and garden maintainer.”</p><p>Sykkuno squirms uncomfortably under the man’s unreadable gaze. He straightens himself up after a while of awkwardness, preparing to finish up with the task at hand, when the man finally speaks up again. </p><p>“Do you know who I am?”</p><p>His eyes dart to the man, studying the deep-voiced handsome stranger slowly. </p><p>“Someone who fell asleep in the middle of the royal garden?”</p><p>Is he supposed to know who this person is? He earns a disbelieving laugh from the man and the sound of the silent huff of air makes him somewhat proud about his lame joke of a reply.</p><p>“You really shouldn’t be sleeping in the middle of nowhere though. It’s not very safe... nor is it comfortable.”</p><p>Sykkuno moves to scoop the pile of waiting leaves into a bucket. A wince takes over the man when he rolls his head back slowly to stretch out the stiff muscles there.</p><p>“Why didn’t you wake me up then?”</p><p>The last of the leaves get discarded into the wooden bucket. Sykkuno hums a little as he moves to pick up the blanket heap next to the man’s feet. Their eyes meet when the brunette looks up, half bent downwards to reach for the discarded quilt.</p><p>“You don’t think I tried?”</p><p>Sykkuno shakes it out before folding it in half and then again. The fabric feels nice and soft as he holds it close against his chest.</p><p>“You were sleeping so peacefully so I decided to leave you be which is fine and all...”</p><p>The dark haired male’s breath hitches when the brunette turns to look at him with a small frown gracing his lips and genuine concern tainting his eyes.</p><p>“But the fact that you didn’t seem very happy is not fine though.”</p><p>The sound of rushed footsteps tear through the air around them when a group of three people wearing the royal knights’ uniform in various colours come into sight by the hallway just outside the palace’s library beside the garden.</p><p>“Where is he?”</p><p>The man in the dark green uniform turns around to glare at the other two, irritation clear in his gestures and voice.</p><p>“Where is the king?”</p><p>A brunette clad in a violet set of similar clothes shrugs nonchalantly.</p><p>“I told you – he ran off right after the meeting this afternoon and nobody has seen him since.”</p><p>A frustrated groan followed by more glares.</p><p>“How did you two lose a person? <em>A whole person, Karl!</em>”</p><p>The trio storm off around the bend, their voice fading behind them. He turns to look at Sykkuno who simply brushes off the whole incident in favour of picking up the wooden bucket of leaves.</p><p>“You’re not worried at all about the king going missing?”</p><p>The brunette shakes his head firmly.</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>He trails behind Sykkuno as they start to make their way to the tool shed on the other side of the massive garden.</p><p>“Why would I worry about him? He’s a grown man and he seems very capable. Our kingdom’s been doing very well these past few years...”</p><p>The ladies at his orphanage have done nothing but praise this young king’s ability to lead since he got onto the throne. They’re always talking about how well the economy is and how the relationships between the different kingdoms are so stable now – in short, all good things.</p><p>“And the rumours?”</p><p>Alden’s voice rings through his head as he recalls his first day here and all the stories his roommate told him.</p><p>“He can’t be that bad, right? Plus, they’re just rumours after all.”</p><p>The bucket of leaves hits the floor beside the shed with a dull thud. Sykkuno hangs up the rack, eyeing the man as he prepares to empty out the bucket.</p><p>“Judging from your attire... don’t you have work?”</p><p>His question tosses his new acquaintance into a frenzy as he turns around in a rush, ready to dash off in the direction of the library.</p><p>“Yes! I need to go.”</p><p>He takes two steps forward before turning back. Sykkuno offers him a questioning glance.</p><p>“Uh... Thank you... For everything.”</p><p>The peaceful silence finally returns as the stranger’s shadow disappears in the distance. Sykkuno spends a few more minutes staring at the far wall across the garden. A small giggle fills the air, mimicking the sound of gleeful wind chimes. He spends the rest of his day humming happily to himself as he feeds each plant with plenty of water.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>“-and this afternoon you will be meeting with Earl... Your majesty?”</p><p>The king’s eyes are trained on the blue skies outside, his attention clearly elsewhere, with his chin resting on the palm of his hand.</p><p>“Your majesty, are you listening?”</p><p>The file in his advisor’s hand hits the table with a soft clap. Dark eyes shift to look at him with a bored expression.</p><p>“Yes Jack – meeting with the Earl of? I’m listening.”</p><p>He earns an eye roll and a sigh.</p><p>“At least act interested then.”</p><p>A scoff.</p><p>“You sure are picky Mr. Advisor.”</p><p>Jack drops the papers onto the desk, a silent agreement for a temporary break, before striding to take a seat on the neat arrangement of couches a few paces away.</p><p>“What’s on your mind? You haven’t been this distracted since... well.”</p><p>The young king lets out a hum, his hand reaching out to pick up the stray fountain pen on the cluttered wooden desk. The heavy metal in his hand feels cold and grounding as he twirls it around between his fingers. </p><p>The truth is that the image of the nameless brunette's happy smile from a week ago in the garden has been living rent free in his head ever since the incident. </p><p>People have been nothing but scared of him since he earned the title of "The Tyrant King" that one evening at one of their many royal balls. To have someone speak so kindly of him and not hate him from the bat made him really happy – albeit the brunette did seem rather clueless about who he was. </p><p>“Nothing…”</p><p>He meets his advisor's gaze from across the room, a troublesome looking glint dancing in those blue eyes. </p><p>“Right… and I'm just a pesky butterfly.”</p><p>Sarcasm drips down his tone like thick syrup down a pile of pancakes. </p><p>“Do you really think that you can get away with lying to me? I've been by your side since you were born, I can read you like an open book.”</p><p><em><strike>Damn keen advisors that are also childhood friends who can read you like an open book.</strike></em> </p><p>“So what's on your mind?”</p><p>The dark haired male tries to buy himself some time by stacking the scattered papers in front of him into a neat hill. </p><p>“Remember that day when I went 'missing'?”</p><p>Of course Jack does – the amount of chaos the kingdom went through in those short few hours wasn't easy to forget.</p><p>“As if I could forget.”</p><p>The king rewards him with an eye roll for his efforts. </p><p>“I met someone.”</p><p>His advisor perks up immediately, the action very similar to that of a puppy’s. </p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>Mr Stewart had taken the role of the royal gardener since the beginning of the late king’s ruling and he stayed within the palace to take care of every nook and cranny of the palace greenery until last year when he retired. He can only assume that the brunette he ran into last week was the new gardener. Ludwig did mention something about new servants entering into the palace at the beginning of the month. </p><p>“Where’s Ludwig?”</p><p>His question is met with a beat of silence as Jack tries to figure out what’s happening. </p><p>“Busy with his duties hopefully. You should know this but we have another event coming up soon.”</p><p>Right, his sister’s birthday party is just around the corner. </p><p>“Call him in.”</p><p>A sigh and some rustling as the blue eyed male makes his way towards the room’s huge oak doors. They open slowly, Jack peeps out to say something to someone, the door closes and Jack turns around to look at him dead in the eyes. </p><p>“What are you planning on doing? Please don’t wreck havoc again. We have a lot that you need to get done before your mother returns.”</p><p>He offers Jack a semi-reassuring wave. The door opens before he can respond and Ludwig enters with a bright smile. </p><p>“I heard that you were looking for me.”</p><p>“Ludwig, have a seat.”</p><p>“What do you need?”</p><p>Impatient as always, he’s a busy man after all. </p><p>“Did a brunette with really soft looking features enter into the palace in your batch of newbies by any chance?”</p><p>The butler mulls over the question, stroking his chin as he thinks. </p><p>“I think there was one...”</p><p>The image of the brunette from a few weeks back flashes through his mind. </p><p>“Oh! Could it be him that you’re looking for?”</p><p>Ludwig had given everything regarding the newbies to his subordinate in charge of their residence because of the thousands of other arrangements that he has to get done for the princess’s birthday party soon. He hasn’t gotten any complaints and feedback seems to be spectacular so he never bothered to do a second check up after their first day. </p><p>“What’s his name?”</p><p>Good question – what is his name?</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>He shrugs it off when the other two turn to look at him.</p><p>“Find out then.”</p><p>Ludwig’s a little taken aback by the serious response and he offers his assurance to get the brunette’s name before excusing himself. Jack walks him out and the duo turn to look at each other with confused eyes as the door closes behind them. </p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>“Did you see the glimmer in his eyes-”</p><p>“You mean the absolute fondness in them?”</p><p>A pause.</p><p>“I think... our little friend there might be-”</p><p>“-in love?”</p><p>Wow, okay. This is a first. They’ve been struggling to find him a partner for years now. They had the most beautiful royals and nobles from all over the world come to their palace but their king has never once reacted with anything but a cold stare and a forced smile. </p><p>“Go and find out who this person is.”</p><p>Ludwig’s hurried footsteps disappear down the hall as Jack leans back against the wooden door with an excited smile. Things are about to get interesting. </p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>“Did you find it?”</p><p>“Find what?”</p><p>The dark haired male throws him a bone-chilling death glare and Ludwig laughs nervously as he places the documents down.</p><p>“His name is Sykkuno and he’s the new gardener who’s taking over Mr Stewart’s old position.”</p><p>Exactly as he thought – good, good... However, one thing still remains unanswered. Was the brunette messing with him the other day or was he serious when he didn’t recognise him?</p><p>“One more thing.”</p><p>Ludwig tries to hide his insufferable sigh, his one hand already resting on the door handle as he prepares to make a dash for it.</p><p>“How can I help you?”</p><p>The troublesome smirk dancing on the dark haired male’s lips scares him as he tries to remain calm.</p><p>“I have a meeting this afternoon in the conference hall. <em>I don’t want anyone making a noise there when I make my way up to the hall</em>.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>In other words – make sure that the newbies all receive the news and surround the place to see the ice king. Got it.</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>“I’ll make sure that <em>no one </em>will be there.”</p><p>He doesn’t get paid enough for this.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>“Sykkuno did you hear?”</p><p>Alden elbows him gently as they sit down for lunch.</p><p>“Hear what?”</p><p>His words are muffled by the food in his mouth and his roommate makes an offhand comment about how he looks like a chipmunk as the duo finally settle down.</p><p>“The king has a meeting in the conference hall today.”</p><p>Okay?</p><p>“I have to water the garden there this afternoon...”</p><p>“That’s perfect?”</p><p>He swallows the mouthful of food with a confused sound.</p><p>“Shouldn’t we not disturb them if they’re doing a meeting?”</p><p>Alden shakes his head with a small click of his tongue.</p><p>“Sykkuno, don’t you want to see the king?”</p><p>A spoon full of mash potato disappears into his mouth as he thinks about the question for a while.</p><p>“Not particularly – no. Should I want to see the king?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“<em>Because he’s the king, Sykkuno.</em>”</p><p>That’s not a very convincing reason if he’s being honest. Sykkuno wolfs down the other half of his plate – eager to get started on that part of the garden as soon as possible because of the new shipment of daffodils he just received this morning. Alden lets out a low whistle as he stands up with the last bite of food still stuffed in his mouth.</p><p>“I’ll drop by to find you when the time comes, Sykkuno!”</p><p>His roommate’s reminder follows him out of the hall and he offers a half-hearted wave in response before rushing off to his awaiting plants.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you specialise in this stuff...”</p><p>Sykkuno swallows his heart back down from his mouth when Alden appears from behind a row of rose bushes. He had been so immersed in his work that he didn’t hear his roommate creep up on him until he was only a few steps away.</p><p>“What are you doing here?”</p><p>The blonde works as an in-training-knight under a senior by the name of Clay. Their different professions make it so that they work in two completely opposite areas of the humongous palace.</p><p>“Didn’t I say that I would be here to pick you up to see the king?”</p><p>His gloved hands pat the damp soil a few times to secure its roots properly before standing up to stretch his legs out.</p><p>“I still have a lot of work, don’t you?”</p><p>Alden shrugs it off, his hand reaching out for Sykkuno’s to grip it gently.</p><p>“It’ll only be a few minutes. Let’s go before we miss it!”</p><p>The brunette’s complaints go unheard as the blonde drags him towards the already crowded hallways outside of the conference hall. A few small groups of maids are surrounding the area like a mesh with a few guards here and there peeking out from the sea of uniform dresses.</p><p>The sound of footsteps echo into the air as the muttering intensifies. The duo makes it just in time as the party rounds the corner. The same two men, the one in the green and the one in the purple, from when the king went missing are walking just behind a new man in a dark blue uniform a little behind the king with the head butler trailing behind them.</p><p>Sykkuno’s eyes trail to look at the crucial person of their little cluster of important people. The dark haired male is walking a little in front of the crowd, his steps sure and his head held high. His eyes are cold and hard with his lips pulled back into a tight line.</p><p>Their eyes meet as the king turns his head to search the crowd and a surprised gasp falls out of Sykkuno’s mouth as he finally recognises the familiar person.</p><p>“It’s Mister Sleepy-Head!”</p><p>His roommate shoots him a confused glance when the barely audible outburst reaches his ears.</p><p>“Mister who?”</p><p>He turns to look at Alden with big doe eyes, his mouth still agape in shock. Everybody but Sykkuno misses the way the king’s eyes immediately narrow down on them, the air becoming more and more chilling as he sends scary death glares at the duo whilst never breaking his stride to the conference hall.</p><p>Jack and Ludwig are trying to hold back their smiles, Karl confused and the man in blue stoic as ever, as the party finally enters into the conference hall. The doors fall shut with a rude clap and the crowd begins to disperse quickly as the meeting begins. Alden leads Sykkuno through the halls and back into the garden where his Daffodils are swaying happily in the breeze.</p><p>“Have you met the king before?”</p><p>The brunette’s eyes wander around the place as he picks up the next flower to be planted.</p><p>“Erm... yeah...”</p><p>The image of the death glare from earlier flashes through the blonde’s mind and he lets out a shiver at its mere thought – he was lucky they were at the back of the crowd and not right up front. From the look of things it might be a little bit more than a mere meeting.</p><p>“Ah well, I need to get back to work.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>Before he gets murdered.</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>“I’ll see you tonight then after work.”</p><p>He offers Sykkuno two firm pats on the back before walking away, waving farewell until he disappears round the bend. The chirping of the birds in the nearby trees harmonises itself with the rustling of the leaves. Sykkuno lets the plant fall back into its pot before dropping himself to kneel on the ground in despair.</p><p>“He is the king...”</p><p>Their interactions replay themselves one by one in extra slow motion as his heart sinks through the ground and down into the core of the earth. How could he be so foolish?</p><p>“<em>That was the king... Oh Jesus, I’m so screwed.</em>” </p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Every little rustle makes him jump for the next few days. He’s been scared of losing his job ever since the day they went to go see the king <em>because he was an ignorant fool who didn’t know he was talking to the king even though he works at the freaking royal palace</em>.</p><p>His worst nightmare comes true one cloudless day when the all-too-familiar deep voice rings out from behind the trees besides the newly planted daffodils.</p><p>“So this is where you’ve been hiding <em>Mister ‘good ol' floor sweeper and garden maintainer’ </em>sir.”</p><p>The watering can in his hand slips out of his grip to hit the floor as he turns around with a wince.</p><p>“Y-Your majesty.”</p><p>This is going to be one hell of a story to tell the ladies at the orphanage when he returns back, not even a little over a month later, jobless and hated by the monarch himself.</p><p>“That’s me.”</p><p>The dark haired male offers him a teasing smile <em><strike>that absolutely melts Sykkuno into a puddle of goo</strike> </em>as he comes to a stop with his hands behind his back like a gleeful child who just got candy. The brunette tries to swallow down the bundle of nerves rising in his throat, a lame apology forming itself in his head.</p><p>“I’m so sorr-”</p><p>“Do you know how hard it was to try and find you again?”</p><p>“-excuse me?”</p><p>He takes a step back when the king takes a step forward and the action causes the king’s smile to drop into a little frown. Sykkuno keeps moving backwards blindly, panic rising with each step he takes, when the taller male keeps advancing on him like a predator hot on the trail of its prey. His foot hits the abandoned watering can which he had dropped earlier after a few more steps and the world turns into a blur of colours as his feet loses its grip and he starts to freefall.</p><p>The hazy rainbow of colours gets replaced by total blackness as a hand appears to grip the back of his head, another hand pulling him forward into a solid chest. The crash that he anticipated for never comes, instead he finds himself surrounded by softness, warmth and the crisp fruity scent of an intoxicating fragrance.</p><p>Sykkuno’s hand is gripping tightly on something soft, it feels like silk, and his face turns bright red when he opens one eye to find himself face to face with the king.</p><p>“Am I that scary?”</p><p>That husky tone – it should be illegal to sound so good.</p><p>“And here I thought you would be excited to see me again...”</p><p>Puppy dog eyes and a dramatic fake sigh. Is this person even the same person as the ice king they saw walking towards the conference hall the other day?</p><p>“Don’t you think that this is a bit inappropriate, Your Majesty?”</p><p>The hand on his waist tightens its hold as he gets pulled closer yet. Sykkuno’s face is positively burning now. </p><p>“How so?”</p><p>Well, for one they’re standing unnecessarily close and secondly (to quote his overenthusiastic roommate’s words) <em>he’s the king</em>.</p><p>“Well... you should be intimate with someone that you like and I’m just a lowly servant so-”</p><p>“Do you like that knight from the other day then?”</p><p>He lets out a confused sound at the sudden question. The dark haired male’s somewhat possessive tone takes him aback as he tries to connect the dots for an explanation.</p><p>“The knight...? Oh! Alden?”</p><p>The new name generates a pout onto the king’s frown.</p><p>“How were we intimate?”</p><p>“You were holding hands.”</p><p>“We were?”</p><p>“You were.”</p><p>“But this and that are different.”</p><p>“And how are they different?”</p><p>Sykkuno lets out a disbelieving sigh at this childish king’s behaviour. He looks more and more like a pouting puppy as time goes by.</p><p>“Alden’s my roommate and you’re the king.”</p><p>The taller male’s face hardens immediately upon hearing those words and Sykkuno tries to trample down his disappointment when the arms around him disappear instantly.</p><p>“Right. I’m the cold-hearted, tyrant king.”</p><p>Those words hit him like an ice cold bucket of water and his heart churns as the king takes a few steps back and prepares to leave.</p><p>“Sorry for disturbing you then.”</p><p>Sykkuno dashes forward without thinking and he collides into the taller male’s back with a muffled thump.</p><p>“I’m so sorry... I didn’t mean it like that. As I said last time – you’re doing a wonderful job and the people around me always praise you very highly. Rumours are just rumours. They aren’t true at all.”</p><p>He relaxes instantly when two warm hands come to a rest on top of his which are still clasped tightly around the king’s stomach.</p><p>“You don’t think I’m a tyrant?”</p><p>He shakes his head wildly, his hair rubbing against the silk shirt cladding the muscular back to create static.</p><p>“You don’t think I’m cold and stoic?”</p><p>Another round of frantic head shaking.</p><p>“Then what do you think of me?”</p><p>He loosens his grip when the taller male tugs on his hands to turn around. The warmth has once again returned to those dark orbs as a small teasing smile dances on his lips now.</p><p>“A childish and puppy-like king?”</p><p>The wave of tiny giggles that filters into the air sends the last of Sykkuno’s worries away.</p><p>“What’s your name <em>Mister Gardener </em>sir?”</p><p>He flushes at the nickname.</p><p>“Sykkuno.”</p><p>The brunette opens his mouth to ask for a name in return but he shuts it without saying anything after a few seconds.</p><p>“My name’s Cadaver. ‘Your Majesty’ sounds too stiff – I don’t like it.”</p><p>“I can’t possibly call you by your name... Isn’t that rude?”</p><p>The dark haired male lets out a scoff at that.</p><p>“You met me as Cadaver, not the king, so it’s only fitting for you to call me by my name then.”</p><p>Sykkuno’s eyes widen comically at the utter illogical reasoning he was just presented with.</p><p>“I was an ignorant fool! You’re still the king!”</p><p>“Then as your king I command you to call me by my name then.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>Stubborn.</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>“Try it... Say my name Sykkuno.”</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>Damn that soft, deep tone that makes his knees go weak.</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>“C-Ca... Cadaver.”</p><p>He never liked his name – but something about the way Sykkuno says it makes him feel all warm about the accursed name.</p><p>“A weird name, isn’t it?”</p><p>“I wouldn’t call it weird – just very... unusual?”</p><p>“In other words: weird.”</p><p>Sykkuno smacks him gently on the chest, eliciting a chuckle from the taller male.</p><p>“Don’t you like your name?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>He hates it.</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>“Not particularly.”</p><p>A pause washes over them, more like somewhat of an awkward silence, as he waits for Sykkuno to speak again.</p><p>“What does it mean?”</p><p>“It means corpse.”</p><p>“What?!”</p><p>“Cadaver translates to corpse.”</p><p>Sykkuno’s brows knit together as he questions why they would give such a name to a <em>prince</em>.</p><p>“Do you not like my name?”</p><p>“What? No, of course I like your name besides... erm... corpses can be... cool?”</p><p>He mentally kicks himself as soon as his own words reach his ears. That was super horrible.</p><p>“People usually just call me Cade though – shorter and easier to say.”</p><p>The brunette lets out a frown at the name.</p><p>“You don’t look like a Cade though.”</p><p>The dark haired male leans forward to bury his face against Sykkuno’s shoulder as he shakes with silent laughter at his statement.</p><p>“What do I look like then?”</p><p>Pale skin, dark eyes, dark hair and a cold demeanour – why that’s basically all the traits of a... Sykkuno lets out a giggle at his realisation and the soft chime has the young king looking up with a curious glint.</p><p>“If I have to be honest...”</p><p>Sykkuno’s hand moves up to caress the taller male’s cheeks gently and the action causes his breath to hitch as those brown eyes scan over his face with a fond smile.</p><p>“You do represent a corpse in many ways... but good ways...”</p><p>His own hand comes to rest over the brunette’s smaller one, pressing it close to his cheek like a cherished treasure.</p><p>“Corpse... I like it.”</p><p>Two names that share an identical meaning but their individual stories are completely different. The name Cadaver ties him down to his duties, his people and the burden of all the responsibilities of being king. The name Corpse ties him to Sykkuno and all the wonderful things regarding the buoyant brunette – his beautiful smile, his wind-chime laughter and his care-free personality. All things that Corpse has long since given up on after his father passed away.</p><p>“Call me Corpse from now on.”</p><p>The brunette watches him with big doe eyes as he pulls their intertwined hands back from his cheek to place a firm press of lips against the centre of Sykkuno’s palm.</p><p>The merry daffodils rock back and forth gently in the cool breeze as the beginning of a new chapter blooms to life around the happy duo.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>The sound of heels tapping against the expensive tile floors echoes across the place as the princess rushes down the hallways towards her brother’s office. Corpse doesn’t even flinch as the wooden doors get thrown open dramatically.</p><p>“Cadaver!”</p><p>The fountain pen’s tip glides over the crisp white page elegantly as he signs off the last of that document.</p><p>“Rachel.”</p><p>She lets out a huff at his monotone response.</p><p>“Why haven’t you been eating meals with me lately?”</p><p>Corpse usually wakes up at ungodly hours to pre-check everything in his schedule each morning and he usually takes dinner in his office as he finishes off the last of the mountain of paperwork on his desk every evening. So that only really leaves lunch as the time slot when he can spend time with her but <em>he hasn’t shown up to lunch with her for nearly two weeks now</em>.</p><p>The door once again opens to reveal Jack followed closely by Jeremy, the man in the blue uniform from the conference hall incident, who’s pushing a tray of tea and desserts into the room with a bored expression.</p><p>“Jack! Look at him neglecting me whilst mother is out of town!”</p><p> The worn out advisor offers her a small, sympathetic smile but nothing more.</p><p>“Jeremy!”</p><p>“Rae, don’t disturb my advisors.”</p><p>Two cups of tea are prepared under Jeremy’s watchful gaze. One cup slides onto the coffee table gracefully in front of the princess and the other cup makes it onto the only clean corner of the king’s cluttered table a few seconds later.</p><p>“The princess is correct. You should spend more time with your family, your majesty.”</p><p>Corpse throws the smirking man a glare, turning back to his paperwork and ignoring Rachel’s happy triumphant sound at being agreed with.</p><p>“Don’t you have Imane to keep you company?”</p><p>Come to think of it he hasn’t seen Rachel’s lady-in-waiting for a while now. Usually they’re stuck together by the hip.</p><p>“Poki’s busy with party plans, <em>which you would know if you actually spent time with me.”</em> </p><p>He loves her, he really does, but most of the time they end up bickering about the most ridiculous stuff when they talk.</p><p>“Where even have you been sneaking off to?”</p><p>Rae turns to look around the room in bewilderment as Jack starts to violently cough from the back of the room. Toast’s smirk becomes ten-fold as he drags out a hum.</p><p>“<em>Yeah... Where have you been sneaking off to, your majesty?</em>”</p><p>The grandfather clock standing against the one wall of the office chimes 12 o'clock and like the antique's clockwork, Corpse stands up to stretch as soon as the last chime fades out of the room.</p><p>“As an apology Jack and Jeremy will be having lunch with you today.”</p><p>Three harmonious ‘What?’ sings out through the room as Corpse makes his way over to the door. He looks back with an innocent smile and a small wave.</p><p>“Have fun~”</p><p>The doors shut behind him, leaving the stunned trio in perplexity.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>The garden is uncharacteristically empty when Corpse arrives at their usual spot. He knows that both of his advisors know about his little rendezvous with Sykkuno and he’s thankful that neither of them spilt anything when Rae asked. He’s not so sure how long they’ll be able to keep quiet about it though – Rachel has her ways of finding out what she wants to know if she’s serious enough about it.</p><p>“Sykkuno?”</p><p>No response. The brunette’s probably still at lunch. Their lunch times are somewhat different with the servants’ lunch break being half an hour earlier than his lunch break and Sykkuno, ever the sweetheart that he is, always tries to finish his food as soon as possible to rush back for Corpse even after he told the brunette that that was absolutely unnecessary.</p><p>A small cracking sound filters into the semi-quiet garden as he stretches his arms overhead whilst looking around the newly decorated place. Something vibrantly red catches his attention and he turns around to examine the unplanted rows of big, red flowers in the shade to one side.</p><p>Those flowers are definitely new and they’re probably decorations for the upcoming party. Imane loves to go over the top with the decorations because it just makes Rae so happy.</p><p>“Corpse! Sorry for making you-”</p><p>Corpse’s finger jerks forward harshly to stab the flower and the shattered look in his eyes as the red flower falls off elegantly to land on the ground makes Sykkuno’s heart cry with mixed tears of sadness and fondness. Dark eyes look up with a pout that makes the brunette coo.</p><p>“It’s okay – there are plenty more beautiful flowers there.”</p><p>Corpse takes a step back when Sykkuno bends down to pick up the flower delicately.</p><p>“These are <em>Hibiscus rosa-sinensis</em>. They produce sweet, delicious nectar which the birds love to drink.”</p><p>The flower’s leaves at its base get pulled off swiftly and Sykkuno tosses it into the rose bushes gently. Corpse watches him with awe, captivated by his every move, as he lifts the base of the flower to his mouth. The flamboyant flower blooms right out of his mouth as its nectar slowly drains out. </p><p>“You should try it.”</p><p>A droplet of clear nectar escapes to dribble down the side of his mouth and Corpse steps forward to swipe at it with his mouth. Sykkuno’s breath hitches as the taller male’s thumb lingers on his bottom lip for a beat longer than necessary. Corpse brings his hand back to his lips and his tongue darts out to lick at the sticky liquid on his thumb, the sweet taste washing over his mouth.</p><p>“Sweet.”</p><p>The flower in Sykkuno’s hand comes into view as the brunette offers it to Corpse. Dark eyes move down from his face to the base of the flower where the shorter male had kissed it a few seconds ago. He takes the flower cautiously before lifting it up to his mouth.</p><p>
  <em>An indirect kiss.</em>
</p><p>The sweet juice oozes out of the centre and into his mouth at a steady pace. A pair of happy honey brown eyes meets his when the flower’s storage of liquid finally depletes.</p><p>“Do you like it?”</p><p>He nods once, head feeling fuzzy and heart feeling warm like the rays of sunlight dancing around them.</p><p>“I’m so happy that you do!”</p><p>That smile, the blinding smile of pure happiness that reminds Corpse so much of his blissful childhood days, nearly pushes him over the edge. He resists the urge to pull Sykkuno closer, to close the distance between them and to kiss him tenderly as he had kissed the flower in his hand. Instead, he leans down as his one hand moves to tilt the brunette’s head upwards by the chin to press a firm kiss against Sykkuno’s forehead.</p><p>“Mn. It’s almost as sweet as you, Sykkuno.”</p><p>Corpse manages to catch a fleeting glimpse of the pretty flush just before Sykkuno buries his face into the crook of his neck with an embarrassed sound. </p><p>“Don’t hide yourself from me, Sykkuno. Let me see you.”</p><p>It takes a while but eventually the brunette does look up, the blush still evident on his face despite being much lighter now.</p><p>“How was your day?”</p><p>His hand glides easily across Sykkuno’s heated cheeks to push back a strand of hair behind his ear slowly. The question seems to do the trick and the smile returns to the flushed, shorter male’s lips as he goes off on a tangent about how his day has been going so far.</p><p>Corpse listens attentively, all the while holding him close in his arms as a small smile dances on his lips. The flower in his hands gets twirled around between his fingers absent-mindedly until he realises he’s still holding the fiery beauty.</p><p>“Sykkuno.”</p><p>The brunette’s half-finished sentence dies immediately as he turns all his attention to the taller male with a small replying hum.</p><p>“Look here.”</p><p>He looks up just as the Corpse pushes the flower into the space between the top of his ear and the edge of his fluffy brown locks.</p><p>“It’s hot here. Why don’t we move to the shade?”</p><p>Sykkuno offers him a small nod and they move as one to the shielded areas under the nearby trees in silence. Corpse plops down onto the floor ungracefully before shifting to make space for Sykkuno. He eyes the brunette curiously when Sykkuno makes no move to sit down beside him.</p><p>“Sykkuno?”</p><p>The shorter male’s mouth opens but nothing comes out as his sentence gets stuck at the back of his throat. So he waits patiently for the brunette to find his words, adjusting his shirt meanwhile.</p><p>“<em>Can we sit together?</em>”</p><p>What? It takes a while for the meaning of Sykkuno’s words to finally take over him and he lets out a chuckle as he eventually registers the true meaning behind those seemingly innocent words.</p><p>“<em>Come here.</em>”</p><p>Corpse shifts to lean comfortably against the tree before patting the spot between his legs softly. Sykkuno advances slowly towards him before dropping down gracefully onto his knees a small distance away from the grassy ground between Corpse’s knees.</p><p>Rustling takes over the gardens as the brunette awkwardly tries to sit himself down properly between Corpse’s legs. Sykkuno’s hair tickles his nose when he leans back to press his back flush against Corpse’s chest. </p><p>He closes his legs together until they cage Sykkuno in nice and cosily, their legs connected with the slightest of touches that send wonderful jolts of happiness through them both. Corpse raises his one hand to rest it gently over Sykkuno’s racing heart, his other hand coming to play with the soft brown locks.</p><p>For a while they sit in silence, merely enjoying each other’s presence under the nice cool shade of the tree. The silence slowly morphs into whispered chatter and quiet giggles that fade into another round of comfortable silence.</p><p>Corpse’s heart is beating loudly in his ear where it's pressed tightly against the taller male's chest. The steady clapping of the powerful organ takes over him until their hearts start to beat in sync. The world feels at peace and he closes his eyes with a contented sigh.</p><p>Corpse doesn’t realise that Sykkuno has fallen asleep until the brunette lets out a small string of incomplete sounds in protest to him shifting too much as he tries to find a more comfortable position. He bites down his happy sounds of adoration at how cute the sleep-talking brunette looks and after a fast few seconds of an internal debate he deems the meeting for this afternoon unworthy of interrupting Sykkuno’s slumber.</p><p>Jack and Jeremy eventually find the couple, with a still sulky Rachel trailing behind them, a while after lunch. Their scolding disappears instantly, even before making an appearance, when their eyes land on the sleeping duo under the tree.</p><p>Jack manages to clamp his hand over Rae’s mouth to try and mute her excited squeals and together they drag her out of the garden. She threatens them to spill the deeds and Corpse makes his two advisors work extra hard when Rae’s continuous flood of questions and teasing follow him around like a lost puppy for the next few days. </p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Jack lets out a sigh, the paper in his hands dropping onto the table as his eyes shoot up to look at the source of his irritation on the other side of the room. Corpse’s fingers are vigorously tapping against his table, his eyes unfocused even as they continue to nearly stare a hole through the document in his hands.</p><p>He’s been like this ever since lunch when he found out that Sykkuno didn’t show up for work the whole day. Jeremy was immediately sent to go find Ludwig, about 10 minutes prior, and now they’re waiting ‘patiently’ for one of the two to hopefully return with some news.</p><p>The pitter-patter of the drizzling clouds outside echoes loudly through the office, harmonising with the ticking of the grandfather clock, as Jack tries to swallow down his irritation for the annoying sound of his majesty’s impatience. He lets out a relieved sigh when the doors finally open to reveal a slightly drenched Jeremy, panting for breath.</p><p>“He’s sick.”</p><p>The black chair nearly tumbles over onto its side when Corpse stands up hastily with vivid worry in his eyes.</p><p>“Sick? What happened?”</p><p>Sykkuno was fine yesterday when they met up for lunch before the rain storm broke out. The flowers were even covered nicely this morning to be sheltered from the strong winds.</p><p>“Apparently he rushed out during the night to cover the flowers for the princess’s birthday party. According to his roommate, Sykkuno spent about an hour in the rain and was drenched when he returned back to their room a little while before breakfast.”</p><p>He lets out a curse under his breath. It shouldn’t be a surprise because they all know how much Sykkuno cares about those plants but Corpse truly didn’t think that he would go to such lengths and <em>risk his own health for some flowers</em>.</p><p>“Where is he?”</p><p>Jack hurries after Corpse, grabbing the king’s coat along the way to the door, as the trio dash into the hallway in a flurry of clothes.</p><p>“In his bedroom by the newbies’ headquarters.”</p><p>People who are going about their duties scurry to clear the way for Corpse when they see him rushing through the palace with his two advisors hot on his heels. His face scares off people a mile away, a frown accompanied by pure determination as they barge into the servants’ headquarters where Sykkuno stays at.</p><p>“Your majesty.”</p><p>Corpse waves away the greetings, his intense gaze focused on the manager of this section.</p><p>“Is there someone by the name of Sykkuno staying here?”</p><p>“Y-Yes.”</p><p>“Where is his room?”</p><p>The manager hesitates, unsure of the situation. He lets out a small yelp when Corpse narrows his eyes down to glare at him. Jack offers him a reassuring nod.</p><p>“He stays in room 6 on the second floor.”</p><p>Corpse makes a beeline for the entrance of the stairs without another word. They come to a stop in front of the white door at the end of the hallway with the shiny silver 6 pinned to the centre of the upper part. They can vaguely make out the murmured words of the occupants in the room and the image of the blonde holding Sykkuno’s hand that day flashes through his mind.</p><p>Corpse clenches down on his jaw, annoyed, before pushing open the unlocked door with no warning at all. Alden’s eyes widen rapidly as he shoots out of the seat next to Sykkuno’s bed to drop into a salute in a rush.</p><p>“Your majesty.”</p><p>The blonde tries to suppress the unpleasant shiver that runs down his spine when the king throws him a stray glare. Sykkuno’s attempts to get out of bed to greet him are deflected instantaneously by Corpse as the taller male rushes forward to gently push him back into bed.</p><p>“What did I say about taking care of yourself, Sykkuno?”</p><p>Alden bites down his smile, his head still bowed in greeting, as the brunette turns to look away in embarrassment at the domestic scolding unfolding before everyone.</p><p>“But the flowers... The princess’s birthday is coming soon...”</p><p>Corpse lets out a small, disappointed click of his tongue as he moves to sit down on the chair beside Sykkuno's bed.</p><p>“We can always get new flowers for the party. Your health is more important, Sykkuno.”</p><p>Jack and Jeremy bite back identical smiles. They catch Alden’s attention with their eyes before motioning to the door with their heads. The trio of third wheelers makes their way towards the semi open door to leave quietly. Sykkuno shoots them the ‘<em>how dare you leave me here to be scolded</em>’ stare which they all ignore as the door closes on the couple.</p><p>“Corpse! What did I say about not forgetting who you are!”</p><p>The dark haired male turns to pout at him as soon as he hears the light scolding tone and Sykkuno offers him a pout in return because <em>that’s not fair</em>.</p><p>“<em>But you’re sick.</em>”</p><p>“<em>That doesn’t matter.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Sykkuno.</em>”</p><p>“<em>Corpse.</em>”</p><p>Their pouty staring contest ends when Sykkuno surges forward to curl in on himself when a wave of coughs takes over the room. He heaves in a deep breath when the coughing subsides, his vision blurry and his body overheating. Corpse’s hand feels wonderfully cold against his burning forehead and he leans into the touch, even chasing after it when it leaves.</p><p>“You’re burning up.”</p><p>He wants to tell Corpse that it’s not that serious but his words come out as a slur of inaudible sounds as his eyelids start to droop.</p><p>“’m... fin...”</p><p>Sykkuno seems barely conscious, his breathing coming out in painful puffs, and the rapidly worsening condition of the brunette sets Corpse off in a panic. </p><p>“Did you see a doctor?”</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>It's just a cold, he doesn't want to waste the doctor's time. </strike>
  </em>
</p><p>His silence forces out another curse from Corpse.</p><p>“Why are you so reckless?”</p><p>Corpse flinches when the heat of Sykkuno’s forehead burns his hand.  This isn’t good. He turns to look around the room, the small frown on his face becoming bigger and bigger with each glimpse at the minimal decor of the place. He shoots the ill brunette a concerned glance before making up his mind.</p><p>The door nearly hits Jack when Corpse kicks it open roughly with Sykkuno, who is bundled up in his coat like a marshmallow, in his arms in a bridal style carry.</p><p>“Your majesty?”</p><p>Alden eyes the duo, concerned and shocked at the sudden turn of events.</p><p>“Go call Michael and tell him to go to my room. I’m taking Sykkuno with me.”</p><p>He doesn’t even bother waiting for anyone’s response before marching down the hallway to rush down the stairs. The manager rushes out of his office as they reach the exit of the dormitory, his mouth agape in shock at the sight of Corpse carrying Sykkuno to rush out of the place.</p><p>Jack sprints out to fetch Michael in the medical wing as Jeremy clears the path for Corpse. Alden follows them until the door before coming to a stop besides his stunned manager, both of them unsure of what to do.</p><p>People are whispering furiously around them as Corpse continues to march across the great expanse of the palace to his living quarters – every single person curious as to what the chaos is all about. They make it to his headquarters in record time, the maids and butlers scurrying out of their way as Corpse continues his trek straight to his bedroom.</p><p>The large wooden doors to his bedroom get thrown back by Jeremy, a few seconds before Corpse rushes through. Sykkuno lets out a whine when Corpse tries to get him to detach his hands from where they’re hooked around his neck. Eventually the brunette relents, but only after a while of Corpse coaxing him with soft whispers and small comforting pecks to his hair.</p><p>“Michael’s here!”</p><p>Jack, Michael and Rae rush into the room just as Corpse gets Sykkuno to lie down in his bed. Michael, Corpse’s royal physician, rummages through his bag to pull out a few necessary items before going over to check on the sick brunette.</p><p>Rae’s hand comes to a rest on Corpse’s shoulder when the room finally falls into a tense silence. He offers her a small reassuring smile when he sees the heavy concern in her eyes and she pulls him in for a quick hug. Her hand lingers to rub soothing circles on his back even after they pull apart.</p><p>Corpse tries to hold himself back from rushing forward when Michael sits back to write something down in his notebook. He tries his best to wait patiently until the physician shuts his book to stand up from the edge of the bed.</p><p>“He has a really bad cold. I’ll prescribe him some medicine and have it delivered here as soon as possible but until then he just needs to rest and drink lots of water. Don’t let him dehydrate whilst I go fetch the medication.”</p><p>Michael gives Corpse a few more instructions before disappearing out of the room to go fetch the medicine as promised. Jack and Jeremy also get instructions about rescheduling certain meetings and the change of location for his documents before they both get sent off to order the chaos of the rearrangements.</p><p>“Will you be fine alone?”</p><p>Rae lingers just before the door, her hand resting on the cold metal handle, with a frown on her face. Corpse nods again as he tries to convince her that he’s okay now that he’s calmed down.</p><p>“I know you have a lot of arrangements that still need your attention for your birthday party. Don’t let Imane overwork.”</p><p>She lets out a scoff with no bite behind it at all before finally leaving. Corpse runs his hand through Sykkuno’s hair and the brunette leans into his touch like a needy child before settling down into a somewhat weary sleep again.</p><p>“I’ll be back. I’m just going to fetch a towel quickly.”</p><p>Corpse discards his coat and jacket onto one of the couches on his way to the bathroom. He returns a while later with a lukewarm bowl of water and a fluffy white towel. He runs his finger between his tie to undo the knot before tossing it onto the couch as well.</p><p>Sykkuno is burrowed deep into the blankets now, his lean frame shivering despite being covered in a thin sheet of sweat. Corpse pops the first two buttons of his shirt open, rolls his sleeves up and prepares himself as he starts to search for the opening with the brown tufts of hair sticking out.</p><p>He eventually finds Sykkuno’s head tucked into the blankets, nearly on the other side of the bed.</p><p>“Sykkuno.”</p><p>A whine and some further burrowing.</p><p>“Sykkuno please.”</p><p>The brunette ignores him completely and the childish behaviour has Corpse laughing breathlessly. The stress of the situation finally leaves his body as he runs a hand through his own head of messy hair, trying to figure out how to get Sykkuno to come out from under the blankets.</p><p>Corpse tries again, tugging the blanket lightly this time when he sees Sykkuno’s grip loosen, and like the last attempt the brunette simply tightens his hold to pull back with surprising strength and stubbornness.</p><p>He always hears stories about himself and how childish he gets when he’s sick and never once did he believe his mother when she told him about it until now. So he leans back and closes his eyes, trying to remember what his mother used to do when he was feeling under the weather and being a brat.</p><p>He can hear the soft humming of his mother’s soothing voice as she runs her hand over the bundle in the blanket that is him trying to hide away from the cruel world. He remembers the way that the pain would slowly subside as he peeked his head out just a little to look at her, and the way she would reach out to him and let him hold her hand as she comforted him.</p><p>Corpse doesn’t realise that he’s humming the familiar tune until he catches sight of Sykkuno slowly releasing the corner of the blanket from his grip. He tries to calm his racing heart down, the soft humming still continuing despite his nerves, and the blanket falls away this time when he tugs at it.</p><p>Sykkuno’s face is no longer scrunched up in pain, a little bit more peaceful than a few minutes prior, and Corpse makes use of this golden opportunity to wipe down the thin sheen of sweat covering his face and neck. The cloth comes to a rest in midair as his dark eyes move further down to stare at the small piece of skin visible from under the collar of Sykkuno’s shirt.</p><p>The cloth hits the water in the bowl on the floor with a soft splash before Corpse stands up to walk to the furthest wall opposite the king sized bed. His flushed face gets buried between his hands and he lets out a deep breath as he sinks onto the floor in a panic.</p><p>
  <em>What was that? Why did the image of Sykkuno looking all soft and panting under him just flash through his mind like that?</em>
</p><p>He opens the gap between his fingers a little wider to peep at the brunette on his bed before instantly closing his fingers together to cover his face fully again with a low groan.</p><p> “Not now... please not now.”</p><p>It takes him a few minutes to stabilise his breathing again and he stands up with wobbly steps.</p><p>
  <em>He can do this. It’s not that hard. </em>
</p><p>The water sloshes a little as he wrings the cloth dry before moving back to the edge of the bed. Sykkuno lets out a small shiver when the blanket gets pulled back to reveal his torso. Corpse starts off with his arms – wiping them clean with shaking hands, holding his breath as he tries to not wake the sleeping male.</p><p>A big huff of air swims out of him after Sykkuno’s hand returns to the bed beside him. He tries not to think too much about the rest of his task as he repeats his earlier actions of dunking the towel into the now cool water before wringing it dry again. </p><p>Sykkuno’s chest is rising up and down in a slow, steady rhythm and Corpse’s eyes follow the almost hypnotising movements unconsciously.</p><p>
  <em>He can do this.</em>
</p><p>The hem of Sykkuno’s shirt rolls back easily when Corpse pushes it up with his finger whilst trying to not touch any of his bare skin. The brunette’s breathing hitches a little when the towel makes its first contact with his stomach and the action causes Corpse’s heart to drop a little in a new wave of panic.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strike>Crap, crap, crap... Abort mission! Abort mission! What was he thinking? This is impossible..</strike>
  </em>
</p><p>But despite his brain’s frantic internal yelling his hand continues to glide over the brunette’s bare torso with feather light strokes. Before he knows it the ‘agonising’ task gets completed and he bites back the minute nagging feeling of disappointment coming to life at the back of his mind.</p><p>Corpse just makes it back from the bathroom, the bowl of water and towel sorted out, when a knock rings out from the door.</p><p>“It’s Michael. I have the medication as promised.”</p><p>The door flies open and Michael gives Corpse an unamused once over before handing him the neatly wrapped package of medication.</p><p>“They’re all marked with instructions on how and when to take each packet of medicine in there. Feed him some food now before letting him take the first dose of medicine and then let him sleep until dinner.”</p><p>Corpse nods, mentally noting down the instruction from Michael. The physician waves his thanks away and they say their farewells quickly, both with very busy schedules. Corpse manages to get a hold of a maid quickly and she scurries off to get him the requested bowl of broth and some hot water to brew the medical concoction in.</p><p>He thanks her when she returns in record time. Corpse reads the instructions on the package once, twice and then a third time to make extra sure of what he has to do before brewing the medicine. The supposed cure smells awfully bitter and he grimaces as he carries the tray of broth and brew to the bed.</p><p>“Sykkuno.”</p><p>The brunette stirs a little at the mention of his name and Corpse gently shakes him after a few more seconds.</p><p>“Sykkuno, it’s time to eat.”</p><p>He earns a groggy reply of a whine followed by a half rollover to hide under the blanket. It takes a while but after many whispers of sweet nothings followed by many promises of undisturbed sleep after eating he gets Sykkuno to sit up, the brunette’s eyes half open but not seeing. The spoonful of broth gets offered to him and he shakes his head in denial as soon as the steam hits his lips.</p><p>“”s too hot.”</p><p>Corpse’s mother was not lying when she said sick people tend to throw the biggest tantrums.</p><p>“Hold on...”</p><p>He brings the spoonful of steaming liquid to a stop in front of his own lips, blowing it cool patiently, before offering it to Sykkuno again and the brunette drinks it happily this time. For a while the room remains uncharacteristically quiet as Corpse focuses all of his energy onto the same three actions: scoop, blow, feed and repeat.</p><p>The bowl of broth disappears fairly quickly and Corpse lures himself into a false sense of belief that Sykkuno would just take the medicine in stride as well until the brunette nearly spits out the bitter liquid in a dramatic fit.</p><p>“Bitter...”</p><p>So much for thinking that they were getting somewhere.</p><p>“I know Sy, but it’s for your own good.”</p><p>“It’s bitter.”</p><p>“You’ll get better once you drink it.”</p><p>A shake of his head followed by a pout.</p><p>“<em>Sykkuno please.</em>”</p><p>A stubborn no. Corpse stares down at the bowl in his hands, defeated and tired.</p><p>
  <em>How would one be able to feed a whole bowl of bitter liquid to a pouty, childish full grown adult?</em>
</p><p>The answer is he doesn’t know so he tries a few things.</p><p>He tries to coax the brunette and all he earns for his efforts are more pouts and even disobedient huffs of protesting air.</p><p>He tries feigning anger which leads to Sykkuno being on the verge of tears and Corpse panicking.</p><p>He even tries to compromise but alas that doesn’t work either because apparently logic doesn’t work on SickKkuno.</p><p>“Sykkuno, please don’t force me to make you drink this.”</p><p>The brunette, face still flushed and eyes still murky, turns to look at him innocently.</p><p>“And how would you do that... ‘orpse?”</p><p>Maybe it’s the innocent look or the way he cocks his head to the side with those damned red lips downturned into the smallest of curious frowns but something triggers him to down the bowl of medicine in one go, the previously scary liquid not even making him flinch. Sykkuno looks at him in confusion and he lets out a small yelp when Corpse’s hand reaches out to squish his cheeks and tug him forward to press their mouths together.</p><p>Those brown eyes widen cutely as Corpse forces him to drink the bitter brew and Sykkuno does so with little to no struggle, his brain still trying to catch up with the situation. </p><p>They pull back after a while, a small pop reverberating between them. Corpse swipes his thumb across Sykkuno’s damp bottom lip before moving it down to catch the droplets of liquid dripping down his chin. Their eyes lock into an intense stare for a beat until Corpse’s brain catches up on what just happened as well. </p><p>He immediately shoots back from Sykkuno to scramble off of the bed. The flash of disappointment and hurt that crosses Sykkuno’s eyes go unnoticed by Corpse as he battles to fight off his own anxiety.</p><p>“Get some sleep.”</p><p>Sykkuno buries himself back into the blankets, willing the rising tears to go away as Corpse clears out the dirty dishes and hurries out of the room. </p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>The usually quiet palace seems like a completely different place as the muffled music from the ballroom filters into the cool night air around him. Sykkuno lets out a tired sigh, his hand unconsciously moving to adjust his tie for the nth time in the past hour since the princess’s birthday party started.</p><p>Alden returns from wherever he disappeared off to a few minutes ago with two glasses of juice in his hands. They established that Sykkuno’s a lightweight and shouldn’t drink whilst he was on duty. Alden’s on break in the meantime and instead of enjoying the party with his fellow knight friends he’s here babysitting a depressed Sykkuno.</p><p>Corpse had continued to nurture him back to full health for a straight 3 days, hand feeding him everything even after he was well and recovered. Sykkuno’s memories of the first day when he was semi-conscious are blurry and he vaguely remembers an incident of Corpse kissing him. However, that could have just been his delusional mind making up weird things in his fever haze.</p><p>Corpse stopped talking to him as much, only answering with curt responses, and he even stopped coming to visit Sykkuno after he went back to work. He tried to not let the whole situation and their rapidly growing distance affect him that much but eventually his insecurities and his sadness did catch up to him. Alden had spent the better part of yesterday comforting him when those emotions ultimately did catch up and come rushing at him with full force. </p><p>“I’m really okay. You don’t have to babysit me, Alden.”</p><p>The blonde pushes the drink into his hand before sitting down onto the floor beside him with a frown.</p><p>“Sykkuno, stop worrying. It’s okay. You’re my friend too, you know?”</p><p>The brunette sniffles a little at his roommates reassuring words, his emotions still not quite under control despite having cried his reservoir of tears dry.</p><p>“Nonononono... don’t cry.”</p><p>A giggle escapes into the night and ends in a small hiccup as Sykkuno watches his friend try to figure out what to do.</p><p>“I’m really okay. Thank you Alden.”</p><p>He earns a thumbs-up and a happy grin in response. They slowly fall into some light chatter, talking about anything and everything to try to shift the mood into a happier state until Alden bolts up with a curse.</p><p>“Oh crap. I need to go. My break ends in a few minutes. Should I walk you back to the room? You’re done for today, right?”</p><p>Since Sykkuno isn’t part of the usual serving staff he isn’t as busy, unlike the rest of the palace, but they still made him attend to check on all of the flowers and the decorations in the garden. Which meant that apart from the occasional check-ins to make sure that nothing was in disarray, he was fairly free.</p><p>“I can go back by myself otherwise you won’t make it back in time for your shift and get scolded again.”</p><p>Alden offers him a sheepish smile, his hand rubbing the back of his neck like a child caught red handed.</p><p>“Go now. I’ll be fine, I promise.”</p><p>The blonde hesitates to leave, turning back after every few steps of his trek to throw Sykkuno worried glances until he disappears around the bend. The wall feels refreshingly cold as he slumps back against the wall. The low noise of the party combined with the rustling of the trees in the garden just in front of him nearly lulls him to sleep.</p><p>Sykkuno jolts awake when he almost falls face first onto the floor. He lets out a big yawn, stretching his arms overhead, before standing up to pat the dust away on the gifted suit. Ludwig had promptly shoved the big black box into his arms this morning when he found the brunette watering the plants in the garden. The head butler said nothing at all before rushing after a group of maids in charge of the plating to go yell last minute party plans at them.</p><p>The suit in the box consisted of a matching set of black blazer and trousers alongside a dark green dress shirt and a green silk tie. Sykkuno thought that he would be dressing up in the same uniform as the serving staff but everyone else had been given normal black and white uniform tuxedos unlike him.</p><p>Alden had eyed his outfit when he showed up to the opening of the party late, <strike>he had been fighting with the suit but that’s nobody’s business</strike>, but his roommate said nothing otherwise.</p><p>“Let me go check up on the plants one last time before bed.”</p><p>His mumbled instruction to himself lingers in the air as he hops down the stairs leading to the garden with a light bounce in his steps.</p><p>The damp grounds are dimly lit, the fragrance of the variety of flowers strong in the air and slightly dizzying. He makes it to the beginning of the row of the blooming red hibiscus plants when his eyes land on a figure near the other end. The figure’s backside looks lonely and sad as he toys with one of the flowers between his fingers. </p><p>Sykkuno's breath hitches when he realises that it's Corpse. The overwhelming amount of sadness, frustration and confusion that rushes through his body makes him want to run away but his body refuses to move as he mind requests. </p><p>The lonely figure turns around and those familiar dark orbs widen dramatically when they land on the frozen brunette. </p><p>“Sykkuno.”</p><p>
  <em>Why does he sound confused? Why is his voice laced with so much sadness? Why is he looking at Sykkuno with those eyes, tainted with heavy regret? </em>
</p><p>His body finally decides to listen and he takes a few unsteady steps backwards, his eyes starting to tear up again. </p><p>Sykkuno's immediate response of backing away causes a pang of pain to rush through Corpse's heart. His foot comes to a stop mid-step as he tries to chase after Sykkuno. </p><p>“I'm sorry.”</p><p>The brunette's head shoots up to look at him, hurt and confusion evident in his brown eyes. </p><p>“Why? Why did you just leave me?”</p><p>Corpse's hesitation stabs him like a sharp knife through his stomach. </p><p>“Is it because of…”</p><p>The conversation of those two maids that he stumbled upon this afternoon starts to replay itself in his mind. </p><p>
  <em>It's only fitting for a beautiful princess to marry our king. </em>
</p><p>“... my status?”</p><p>Sykkuno's question shocks Corpse. </p><p>
  <em>Why would he ever think that?</em>
</p><p>“I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up high because you're the king and I'm only a lowly servant but I just couldn't help it. I thought that you liked me too when you kissed me the other day but you only became more distant after that… you even started to avoid me.”</p><p>The brokenness of his voice breaks Corpse's heart. The brunette wipes at his tears furiously with the sleeve of his blazer – his sobs fading into broken sniffles. </p><p>“It's okay though. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I'm sorry Corpse-”</p><p>His sentence gets cut off by the hissing sound of the fireworks in the distant sky. Sykkuno lets out a yelp when the hissing pops into a crack. Sparks of beautiful red and gold light up the night as Corpse pulls Sykkuno into his embrace.</p><p>Brown eyes look up just in time to catch the last of the taller male's inaudible sentence. The fireworks up above make it hard to hear anything else but the crackling, beautiful phenomenon. </p><p>He gestures to Corpse, trying to convey that he can't hear anything and he holds his breath when the dark haired male leans down to whisper in his ear. </p><p>“<em>I love you Sykkuno.</em>”</p><p>The biggest firework cackles to life above them but its noise is barely audible in his ears, his heart beat amplified in the air between them. </p><p>Sykkuno leans forward easily when Corpse tugs him by his arm. The world comes to a stop when their lips meet in a soft press. </p><p>The bright lights from above fade away and the garden falls into darkness once again as the cheering and awes of the party in the distance dies down. </p><p>Sykkuno feels Corpse loosen his grip on his arm and he finds himself breathing again when they pull back. He expects that to be it and a loud, surprised yelp pierces through the air when he gets pulled forward again.</p><p>Their lips connect for a second time, this time more aggressive and needy. It takes them a while to find the right angle but Sykkuno's knees give out a second right after they do. </p><p>The kiss turns deep quickly, filled with an overwhelming amount of affection and tenderness. An embarrassed flush shoots across Sykkuno's face when a breathy moan escapes from him. Corpse pulls back to smirk at him, his tongue darting out to lick at his glistening bottom lip as his eyes stare into Sykkuno's soul. </p><p>“Do you like kissing me that much?”</p><p>He earns a playful smack to his chest and some grumbling. The serious mood returns after a pause and a shiver runs down Sykkuno’s spine when Corpse grasps his arms to hold him in place.</p><p>“I ran away from you because I was scared of hurting you, Sykkuno. I’m known for being short-tempered and I have no experience with love whatsoever. I won’t always be able to be there for you because of my duties and I won’t always be able to protect you from the rumours that people tell in the kingdom.”</p><p>Sykkuno remembers being told that ‘being part of the royalty may look like a nice life but it’s not an easy path to be on’ more than a few times in his life and he never truly understood what those words meant until he saw first-hand the amount of work and pressure that Corpse is under every day.</p><p>The reason why Corpse always receives such high praise is because he always puts others, his people and the kingdom’s needs, before himself. Even if it means that he’ll have to work much harder and do things that are out of his comfort zone, he always puts his people before himself.</p><p>“You’re always the one protecting others and helping others, Corpse. Let me be the one to help you and to comfort you when times get tough and when life’s waters become rough. I want to be able to help you too.”</p><p>A single tear rolls down the young king's cheek as the last of Sykkuno’s words disappear into the night around them.</p><p>“<em>I love you Corpse.</em>”</p><p> A sudden, strong gust of breeze takes over the place and a flurry of flower petals shower down around them.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>Rae’s heels are missing and her hair is in a beautiful mess of tangles when they find her sitting on one of the benches in the centre of the royal garden’s maze. She spares them a glance before biting down into the cupcake in her hands, an unfortunate victim from the many cupcakes sitting on the huge plate next to her.</p><p>“Have you sorted it out?”</p><p>The cupcake disappears in two bites and she nods her head to gesture at the plate in a silent offer as she reaches out blindly to pick up another.</p><p>“Yes, we sorted it out.”</p><p>A very unenthusiastic ‘yay...’ is what they get in return for their efforts. The sound of muffled footsteps fills the space until three heads pop up from behind the grass wall to stare at them.</p><p>Poki offers them a smile before entering into the centre space holding a tray of sandwiches. Jeremy and Jack follow closely behind the lady-in-waiting, one holding a few bottles of assorted drinks and the other holding a plate of finger foods.</p><p>“You three should really stop spoiling her...”</p><p>Corpse lets out an insufferable sigh as the three guilty culprits settle down to dig in with the princess.</p><p>“That’s never happening... especially not now after you’ve found someone better than your own sister to spoil.”</p><p>Sykkuno lets out a quick, mumbled apology to which Rae laughs off.  </p><p>“Don’t apologise. Just take care of him, okay?”</p><p>The eating stops so that they can all turn to look at him, each pair of eyes filled with lots of love and care for their dearest king, and Sykkuno feels himself light up with warm happiness from his heart out.</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>Corpse raises their intertwined hands to press a loving kiss to his knuckles.</p><p>A jumbled response of fake gagging and coos causes Sykkuno to hide his face against Corpse’s chest shyly and their teasing turns into peels of happy laughter. Rae raises a half empty bottle of wine to the air with a happy smile.</p><p>“The night is still young – let’s keep going until the sun comes out!”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you hear distant screaming in the background it's because I am screaming in the distance. </p><p>I hope you all enjoyed this!!</p><p>Kudos and comments are very very much appreciated - always! </p><p>Xx<br/>-Jesan </p><p>[Reminder: Corpse and Sykkuno are real life people with real life emotions. Our duty as their fans is to prioritise their feelings first and foremost. Don't send anyone tagged, as well as their friends, anything that will make them uncomfortable.]</p></blockquote></div></div>
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